From the Liveblog of
Friday, April 24, 2026
At White House, Israeli envoy and top Trump aides call for Lebanon to be rid of Hezbollah
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors thank US President Donald Trump for hosting the second round of talks between their countries, during which they agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks.
Trump asks the two ambassadors to offer a few words to reporters in the Oval Office after they concluded the private portion of their meeting.
After thanking Trump, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter declares, “Israel wants peace with Lebanon and Israel wants security for its citizens.”
“We’re united with the Lebanese government in wanting to rid the country of this malign influence called Hezbollah,” he says.
“And now that under your leadership, Iran has been so degraded, the possibility of degrading Hezbollah and liberating Lebanon from their occupation is real,” Leiter continues. “We hope that together, under your leadership, we can formalize peace between Israel Lebanon in the very near future.”
Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh also thanks Trump but refrains from offering similar comments about the potential for peace with Israel.
“Thank you for your leadership, for making sure to be presiding over this historic moment,” Hamadeh says.
“With your support, we can make Lebanon great again,” she adds, causing Trump to smile.
Trump also asks US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to address the press as well, and each is careful to use the opportunity to praise the president.
Rubio says the ceasefire extension gives time for Israel and Lebanon to work toward a “permanent peace.”
“I’m very optimistic that in a few weeks we’ll be even closer to the kind of permanent peace that the people of Israel and Lebanon deserve.”
“Both are victimized by the same terrorist organization,” Rubio says of Hezbollah. “That threat needs to be eliminated.”
Huckabee compares Hezbollah to a “rough little kid living in the neighborhood who keeps throwing rocks at everybody’s window.”
“If the kid will quit throwing rocks, the neighbors can get along and start actually working together,” Huckabee says, maintaining that the effort initiated by the US will “get that little kid out of the neighborhood.”
The Times of Israel Community.